Process and apparatus for effecting chemical reactions



f March 24, 1953 J. w. LATCHUM, JR 2,632,689

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING CHEMICAL REACTIONS Filed Nov. 3, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ENTQALPY-ENTROPY "DIAGRAM I CONSTANT g TEMPERATURE i a 1: z n. l 9 3 u E l r-' E 3 2 Q Q a 8 I an '5 5 .g u l I, l a I x L m B -'-T I oownzsslou I d1 1 CP L T FIG.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS March 24, 1953 J. w. LATCHUM, JR 2,632,689

I PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING CHEMICAL REACTIONS Filed Novv 3, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 GENERATOR TURHNE EXCHANGERS HEAT .LW.LATCHUM,JR.

ATTORNEYS March 24, 1953 J. wQ L-ATCHUM, JR 2,632,639

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING CHEMICAL. REACTIONS Filed Nov. 5, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 HYDROGEN FEED wozzuas I ROTATING I BLADES NOZZLES ROTATING BLADES -FLUOR|NE w L FI:I-:D- q

FLUORINE v L FEED A ADDITIONAL FLUORINE I REACTION TURBINE DIAGRAM z F/G. 4 m (f) r S j o g 0 0 5w .5 2 2 g E. O I- l- I z 2 I 52 l 2 a 2 I: a 1 A A FLUORINEV A V A v FLUoRlN E A v A FEED j v A v A V t I v V A IMPULSE T URB|NE DIAGRAM FIG. 3

INVENTOR V J.W.LATCHUM JR.

.BY 1 L ArroRIIIavs z March 24, 1953 J. vy. LATCHUM, JR r PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING CHEMICAL REACTIONS REACTION I SECTION IMPULSE SECTION REACTION- IMPULSE TURBINE DIAGRAM FIG. 5

INVENTOR J.W.LATCHUM I JR.

BY z 1 ,4,

ATTORNEYI; 2

ower-breathing device.

Patented Mar. 24, 1953 UNITED is TATES PATENT arm-E "-PROGES'SAND APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING JGHEMIGAL REACTIONS John ;.Lteh1i 1 ,jJ1-., Bartlesville, Okla asp r mums Pet oleum:oomnan rai rn ration'oiDelaware ziA'pplieation November a, 1944,- Serial lie-561,753 -12 Claims. 7 (crash-. 153) -=gases= 1- not; :uncommon. 3.111 both; the "1p etroleum industry and in iron smelting, gas turbines "have ibeen, installed to recoveravai-lable energy by y the expansion Of'fih'Ot; gases. therein which otherwise .would .belost .by the. expansion and coolingoi the :gases' to atmosphericconditions.

' .The catalytic I crack-mg xof :petroleum. oils in- ;-volves :theregeneration-of the catalystwithtlarge volumes ofregeneratin-g gas under high temperaturesrandupressures. l After the regenerating gas has'burn'ed the carbonaceous; materials;desposited on" the: catalyst-during the. crackin hof the {petroleuma oils;;:.the.hot gases-:are .zexpan-ded through a gas turbine to recover some .offthesenergy therefrom. :The;mecnanic-al' work:thus obtained f-rom the. gas turbine iszoften used :to' compress theregenerating. gas prior; toitheacombustion of" the 'earbonaceousz'deposits. i

l; Similarly, the Lpro'cess of rEd HCiHgiIO-D ore in a blast furnace involves largei-volmes of hot air and gases'.under:. moderate "pressure. The hot exit gases from the blast furnace "are often conveyed towagas turbine where theegases release some of theiravailable energyxin the -form of mechanical work. Essentially, l'these turbines utilizetheexpans/ion of :hot gases whose potential energy, in the a form :of heat and pressure, was obtained elsewhere thanv the turbine :its'elf. In all of these. processes, therhigh temperature of the eases :thewesult of; theresult *ofi exothermic heat .of reaction or the oxidation ofveazrbonaceous materialszlprior to the .introduotion: .rof the gases into, :.the turbine.

Th'eJuse of. gas turbinesain this m-anneris more or less a means for reooveringenergyiasma by- 1 product: and byno means ":representsganefficient the gas turbine its elf-iand in conveying thehot V ew m e e turb ne .l

' It the objeotofthisinvention to .proyi-dea A iurther object of .ibine a; ehemicaliprocessi' andaipower -produoing turbinein ?sueham-anneriasatorecover the available energyztrom. the i chemioaliprocess as iwell as the :pro ducts of reaction.

Another obj ect is Ito" improve the efficiency of chemical processes anddeorease the cost thereof. Still another. object is to utilize the-"exothermic heat of reaction of chemical reactions-as a source ofirp'ower.

Other ob'freotswand sadvantagesof thepresen-t invention will become obvious to -onev skilled in the art? from the accompanying. disclosure.

"In thepresent process'anovel use oi a powerproducin'g. turbine has been found which enables the generation of power 'fromenergy. available in chemical processes. this respect, the chemical reaotions comprising a chemic al process are effe'c'ted under gas or. 'vap or forming conditions in the casing of a gas turbine acting -both as the reaction chamber "of the 'process andasa means rof generating' power. I

Preheated reactants are injected separately into a .turbineggenerally ata super-atmospheric pressure. iiiTheJrea'ctan-ts are intimately mixed and chemicalreactions:occur within the turbine forming; a ga-s-eous I or v-aporous produot. Simult-aneously withthe-chemical reaction,- the reactants and gaseous products are allowed to expand within the turbine, givingup *ener'gyjin the 1 form of mechanicalwork. Thegaseous efiiuents-of the reaotions are recovered from the exhaust of the turbine as valuableproducts or for further -'-trea1t :ment in their 4 preparation pro-ducts or the process.

more comprehensive understanding of the entropy gram of {the theoretical thermodynami cycle involved the process of 'theinvention. "Figure? isa dia mmatie illustration f a p e r da rtn eiat? ap a atu a -ne h reaeiinbifiuprme hr ro's nt jpr #1 1 ?,h dmeeafiu t a Int rs at u u figure -is;a-,diagrammatioillusti ation of a-multistage impulse typevgturbineshow-ing the method of injecting-zmultiple reactants. Fi'gureaa i553, diagrammatic illustration of a multi-stage-rea cti'on i type turbineshowing the introduction of multiple reactants of a eact'ion chamber preced ingthe 'first set of "nozzl and additional injec- Q- qhe'e threa 'ia se e io memo fliae emmet the apparat tion type turbine precedes an impulse type turbine.

In the application to an exothermic chemical reaction, Figure 1 represents the theoretical thermodynamic cycle involved in the present process. The ordinate of the enthalpy-entropy diagram of Figure 1 is enthalpy,

and the abscissa is entropy, I

2 d T fT1 CDT The complete cycle is represented in the diagram of Figure l by abcd; the area within the cycle abcd is the theoretical excess energy. The first step of the process is compression of the reactant gases or vapors (when fed to the process as gases) which requires energy inthe form of mechanical work. The compression step is from a to b on the enthalpy-entropy diagram and utilizes BA units of enthalpy. The heat released by the exothermic reaction raises the temperature and volume of the gas along the path be at constant pressure at the expense of -3 units of enthalpy liberated in the reaction. In expanding the gases through the turbine along path cd of the cycle, C D units of enthalpy in useful mechanical work is realized. The exhaust gases carry away D-A units of enthalpy along the path etc of the cycle.

In practice, especially in exothermic processes, the quantity of mechanical work realized from the expansion of the gases in the turbine is great,- ly in excess of that needed to compress the reactants in the first step. This excess mechanical work is a convenient source of power to be treated as a product or to be consumed in other phases of the process.

Chemical processes applicable to the present invention are preferably those involving high pressure, high temperature gas or vapor-forming reactions of the exothermic type and/or where the volume of the reaction products is greater than the volume of reactants. As an example of a high temperature, high pressure, exothermic process, the noncatalytic alkylation of hydrocarbons maybe effected within the easing of a power-producing turbine. where the exothermic heat of reaction could be substantially recovered in the form of mechanical work. In noncatalytic alkylation, selected olefin-parafiin mixtures are subjected to a temperature from about 900 F. to about 1100 F. and pressures as high as about 2,500 to 5,000 or 10,000 pounds per square inch gage. Under such conditions the combination of the constituents is effected in the vapor phase without the use of a catalyst. Such hydrocarbons as ethene, propene, n-butene, isobutene, propane, n-butane, isobutane and pentane react readily in this process.

Noncatalytic polymerization of petroleum fractions may be an exothermic process which also could be carried out by the process of the present invention. In practice, temperatures of about 850 F. to about 1150 F. and pressures of about 1,000 to 2,000 pounds per square inch gage are preferred in producing noncatalytic polymerization of C2, C3, and C4 olefins in the vapor phase when diluted with paraffins.

Other exothermic processes to which this present invention is applicable when the product formed is in the vapor or gaseous state include chlorination of cyclohexane, ethylene, and other petroleum derivatives, the formation of hydrogen chloride from hydrogen and chlorine, and the 4 formation of hydrogen fluoride from hydrogen and fluorine.

This invention is adaptable to catalytic as well as noncatalytic chemical processes. It is preferred to have the catalyst present as a vapor or finely divided solid or liquid admitted as a mist with the reactants. Examples of catalysts which may be used in the form of a mist or vapor at the temperature of the chemical process are the hydrogen halides, the metal halides, boron halides, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, the oxides of nitrogen, and some metal sulfides and sulfates. Other catalysts which may be a finely divided solid introduced as a mist are the chromates and metal oxides. Since the invention applies to chemical processes in general, no attempt is made to list all of the catalysts which might be used.

The application of this invention to the formation of hydrogen fluoride gas from hydrogen and fluorine is diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 2.

Hydrogen for use in the process may be obtained as a by-product in the dehydrogenation of petroleum fractions, or recovered from the effluent gases in the regeneration of catalysts upon which carbonaceous materials have been deposited during the conversion of hydrocarbons. Fluorine can be obtained from any suitable source, as from the electrolysis of potassium or calcium fluoride in a copper cell, which acts as a cathode, with a graphite rod serving as the anode.

Dry hydrogen enters compressor 2 from line I and is compressed to a pressure between about 10 and about 1,000 pounds per square inch gage, preferably a pressure between about 20 and about 70 pounds per square inch gage. The hydrogen passes from compressor '2 to heat exchanger 3 where it is preheated to a temperature between about 300 F. and about 600 F. and passes from heat exchanger 3 into turbine 8 through lines 4, 5, 6, andv l. Simultaneously, dry fluorine enters compressor 10 from line 9 Where the. fluorine'also is compressed to a pressure between about 10 and about 1,000 pounds per square inch gage, and preferably to a pressure between about 20 and 70 pounds per square inch gage. The fluorine then passes from compressor II] to heat exchanger II where it is preheated to a temperature between about 300 F. and about 600 F. and passes from heat exchanger ll through lines !2, l3, l4, and 15 into turbine 8. The hydrogen and fluorine are injected at various points along the length of the turbine in a manner more fully described below.

The formation of hydrogen fluoride within the turbine liberates about 5,750 B. t. u. of heat per pound of hydrogen fluoride formed. After or during the liberation of heat which raises the temperature, the gases are expanded in the turbine to furnish mechanical work, a part of this work is utilized to compress the hydrogen and fluorine, and the remainder may be available to generate power in generator 22 as an additional product of the process.

The effluent, having been expanded to about atmospheric pressure, is discharged from the turbine through line l6 and passes through lines I! and I8 to heat exchangers 3 and II. The effluents are then recovered via lines 19, 20 and 2! for the separation of the hydrogen fluoride product, and the recycling of the unreacted hydrogen or fluorine. The thermal efficiency of a turbine operated fitting spacer pieces.

according to this invention is about 21 .per .cent when the temperature of the gases withinthe turbine is about 1,000 E, while with operations atabout 1,200 F. an'efiiciency of 25 percent may be realized. By using heat exchangers as illustrated in Figure 2, the efficiency may be raised 3or '4 percent. At l,500 F. this basic unitcould deliver power at 28 per cent thermal efficiency, with 31 per cent easily attainable with the use of heat exchangers. The use of heat exchangers transfers some of the heat from the relatively hot exhaust gases of the turbine to the reactants, hydrogen and fluorine, before they enter the turbine to react. The economic size of heat exchanger will limit the recovery of heat from exhaust gases, at 1,200 F., to approximately 75 percent recovery of the heat available from the turbine exhaust gases.

Thermal efficiency may .befurther improved in some instances when intercooling is added to heat exchanging or regeneration. .Intercooling removes the heat of compression from the air passing through the compressor. Water circulating through the intercooler coils between the stages of the compression cools the compressed fiuid. By .intercooling, the compressor work is reducedbecause the cooler compressed fluid has a smaller volume. Other conditions remaining the same, one stage of intercooling will reduce the compressor work about 15 per cent.

This increases the portion of the turbine capacity available as useful output and improves the efliciency as much as 2 to 3 per cent.

A portion of thegaseous reaction products may be recycled before or after the heat exchange to aid in control of the power output of the turbine.

A'sp'eed governor, regulating the supply of reactant and thereby the quantity of heat liberated, affords a convenient method of controlling the turbine temperature.

Generally, the construction of the turbine may comprise a casing in which aremachined grooves for the turbine nozzles and stationary blades, a turbine spindle on whose periphery are the moving blades, gas inlet and exhaust passages,

roller bearings "for the supports of the turbine spindle and asuitable number of nozzles and stationary'and'm'oving blades. The turbine'cas i s, split on the horizontal center line, is preferably a cast carbon-molybdenum steel having good corrosion resistance and other physical properties. The gas inlet and exhaustpassages are cast -integrally with their respective casing halves. A solid non-corrosive chrome-nickelsteel forging may comprise the turbine spindle. The nozzles'or stationary blades, preferably made from a straight rolled section of 15 per cent nickel-steel of high corrosion and wear resistance have their inlet edges hardened to prevent erosion and are fastened in the grooves 'of the casing by the engaging of a projecting ring in the groove with -a slot in the blade and close The tapered and twisted moving blades, preferably milled from 14 per cent chrome, 9 percent nickel steel containing relatively small amounts of tungsten, molybdenum, titanium, and columbium to give a quality of high corrosion resistance, are securely held in place in the spindleby engaging the'upset end of the blades with serrated spacer pieces.

' Conventional turbine structures, particularly witlrrespect tonozzle blades, casings, rotors, etc., may "be utilized with modifications of design dictatedzby the particular :reaction to be performed in :the turbine, but, of .course, with the novel features such as inlet conduits or nozzles leading directly into separate stages of the turbine. For instance, the preferred modification .of the apparatus of the .invention which is a combination reaction-impulse turbine of the multi-stage type, may comprise a conventional .multi-stage reaction turbine incombination with a conventional impulse turbine downstream of the reaction turbine on the same or on separate shafts but preferably the former.

The chemical reactions of the processes applicable to the present invention may be effected in a single or multistage turbine of either an impulse type or a reaction type or a combination reaction-impulse type. When the impulse type turbine is .used the reactants may .be injected separately into the annular space immediately I preceding theinlet to the nozzle, as illustrated in Eig. 3, in which the exothermic reaction occurs and the temperature of the gases increases rapidly. The gaseous reaction products expand in the nozzle to attain .a substantially high velocity. Theoretically the velocity of thegases is decreased only in the rotating or moving blades immediately following the nozzles, and the pressure is reduced only inthe nozzles. In practical application the greatest part of the temperature drop occurs in the nozzles. In the impulse type turbine, because of friction and the change of enthalpy into kinetic energy, the temperature drops a substantial amount in .the .nozzles while the gases are expandingand results in a much more rapid temperature decrease in the nozzles than in the reaction turbine. This quick temperature drop is desirable in some casesand is an advantage in processing where short reaction time and fast cooling are required.

Since heat is removed by work done in the expanding or the reactants and products, the cooling of thegas is achieved withmorerapidity than by conventional heat exchange methods. Thus, the application of this invention to reactions requiring a quick quench (cooling) of the gases to stop the reaction as in the case of many petroleum processes is very suitable.

In the multistage reaction turbine, illustrated in Figure 4, where the gases are expandedsuccessively after each set of moving blades, the temperature drop will theoreticallybe the same on each set of moving blades "with only a very small temperature drop in the nozzles. Thetemperature drop per stage is relatively less in this type of turbine than in the impulse'type turbine previously described. The pressure drop per stage is also relatively lower in the reaction turbine than in the impulse turbine. Therefore, where longer reaction 'times and better control of reaction conditions, such as temperature and pressure, are required to assure "a high yield of the desired reaction products, the reaction turbine shouldbe'used-rather"than the'impulse turbine.

.A'preferred set-up for :the practice of thisinvention is the use of a combination reaction-impulse type multistage turbine to formcthe'reaction chamber of a chemical process. The combination reaction-impulse turbine is illustrated in Figure 5. The turbine'comprises two sections. In the first orreaction section-the blades are designed to utilize the kinetic energy due to "the expansion of the fluid, inthesecond or impulse section the blades are designed to utilize the kinetic energydue to velocity of the fluid. The reactants are injectedxseparatelyinto therannular space before the inlet to :thefirst set .of nozzles ofithereactionsection'ofitheitu'rhine. Additional reactants also may be injected immediately preceding the next successive set of nozzles and so on through the entire reaction section. By successive injections of one of the reactants as indicated, the gases are reheated in successive stages on passing through the turbine, which effectively increases the efficiency of the turbine while simultaneously increasing the yield of chemical product. The reaction type section of of the turbine, because of the relatively small decrease in temperature, allows time for the chemical reactions to proceed toward completion, and the impulse-type section of the turbine where the temperature drop is relatively large and more rapid, acts as a quick quench for the chemical reaction so that the formation of excess side products is prevented. If the time for passage of the gases through the reaction section of the turbine is insufiicient for the desired amount of reaction of the gases, an additional chamber may be inserted between the reaction section and the im pulse section of the turbine. In this additional chamber the gases will have more time for reacting thereby enabling an increase in yield of the chemical product. The reaction and impulse section of the turbine also may be entirely separate units interconnected by suitable means for the conveyance of gases. These methods permit closer control of reaction conditions than attainable in a conventional reaction chamber followed by a quench in separate equipment.

Preferably the reactants are injected at right angles to each other and this may be effected in the annular space preceding the nozzles by injecting through stationary inlets, or one of the reactants may be injected from rotating arms or blades attached to the turbine spindle. These rotating arms have orifices therein through which one of the reactants may be injected at right angles to the flow of the gases within the turbine. The reactant may pass to the rotating arms by entering the turbine through the rotating shaft of the spindle or some like manner. Either of these methods of injection assures intimate and thorough mixing of the reactants in preparation for effecting the chemical reaction. In carrying out the reactions within the turbine it is preferable to have an excess of one of the reactants present at all'times, especially when the other reactant is introduced at a plurality of points along the length of the turbine casing.

The desired products manufactured by this process are recovered from the exhaust eiiluent by methods not new in the field of chemical technology. The methods may include absorption in a solvent, adsorption on a solid, chemical combination with other reactants, fractional condensation and distillation or a combination thereof. In almost all cases it is desirable to cool the hot products rapidly after discharge from the turbine.

The present invention has application in many chemical processes, preferably those processes in which pressure is not a controlling factor in the yield of the desired product. However, all processes of high and low pressure may be conveniently adapted to the present invention providing the products of reaction are formed and maintained in the gaseous or vaporous state while expanding through the turbine. In other words, the conditions of temperature and pressure within the turbine must be such that the resulting products of reaction are in the gaseous state in the turbine although the products characteristically may be liquids under atmospheric conditions. Although exothermic reactions in general are preferredthe use of processes characterized by endothermic reactions where the heat of reaction is supplied by a supplementary source such as a furnace or superheated steam is also within the scope of this invention.

The cracking of isobutane in the vapor phase is an example of an endothermic process to which this invention can be adapted. In this case, the isobutane feed is compressed to about 4,000 to 5,000 pounds per square inch gage, and then passed through a preheater where the isobutane is rapidly vaporized at a temperature of about 1,000 F. to about 1,200 F. without-efiecting substantial decomposition thereof. The vaporized feed is injected into a heated turbine where it is expanded to a pressure of about 2,000 to about 2,500 pounds per square inch gage in a reaction type section of a combination reaction-impulsety-pe turbine. The flow of the feed is regulated so that the isobutane has the desired residence time for the cracking reaction. Supplementary heat can be added to the reaction type section through the turbine casing by means of a superheated steam jacket surrounding the turbine. After expansion in the reaction type section of the turbine, the gases containing isobutane and reaction products are further expanded in the impulse type section of the turbine. The gases are cooled rapidly in the latter section preventing excessive formation of side products at the lower pressures. The available mechanical work realized from the turbine would be considerably more than that required to pump the liquid feed. The excess mechanical work may be used to generate electric power or the like. Products of reaction are recovered from the exhaust efiiuent for separation and further treatment if desired. Certain conditions of temperature and pressure can be chosen so that the actual heat input for vaporization at high pressures is less than that required at low pressures.

Although the invention has been described with particular reference to specific types of chemical processes carried out in a particular manner, various modifications will occur to one skilled in the art which may be practiced without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A continuous process for cracking isobutane in the vapor phase and generating power from the resulting gases, which comprises compressing isobutane to a pressure of about 4,000 to about 5,000 pounds per square inch gage, rapidly preheating said isobutane to a temperature of about 1,000 F. to about 1,200 F. without effecting substantial decomposition thereof and vaporizing the same, injecting said vaporized isobutane into the reaction turbine section of a combination reaction-impulse turbine wherein a reaction turbine section comprising alternate sets of stationary gas directing elements and rotating elements is followed by an impulse turbine section comprising alternate sets of stationary gas directing elements and rotating elements interconnecting therewith, under conditions such that at least a portion of said isobutane forms cracked products, adding supplementary heat to said reaction turbine section so as to continue the cracking therein, expanding said isobutane and cracked products within said reaction turbine section to a pressure of about 2,000 to about 2,500 pounds per square inch gage, subsequently further expanding said isobutane and cracked products into said impulse turbine section of said turbine whereby the isobutane. is, cooled. rap ly a the formation of cracked productsv is, subs antially stopped generating power by the expansion and velocity, of, said; isobutane, and cracked products in said turbine, and recovering an effluent from said turbine for. the separation of said cracked products. therefrom.

2. A continuous, process. for. the manufacture of, hydrogen fluoride and generation of, power from. the resulting. gases, which comprises separately injecting hydrogen and; fluorine under superatmospheric QIBSSHIBylIltO at least the first stage of a combination gas turbine in which a multi-stage reaction turbine, section is followed byan impulse turbine section, a, stagecomprising alternate sets of stationary gasdirecting elements and rotor elements efiecting chemical interaction between" said fluorine and said hydrogen so; as to produce gaseous hydrogen fluoride in successive stages, of said reactioniturbine, translating; resulting. gaspressurein said reaction turbine into.- rotary movement thereof, expanding gaseous effiuent from said reaction turbine into said impulse turbine and therein translating kinetic energy of saideffluent into rotary movernentv of said turbine,- thereby rapidly quenching said eflluent' and stopping further interaction, and recovering hydrogen fluoride fromthe turbine effluent.

3. In a process for effecting exothermic chem:- ical reactions requiring accurate control of the reaction time the improvement which comprises separately injecting gaseous reactants under superatmospheric pressure-into. the reaction section of a power-producing combination, turbine wherein. a multi-stage reaction type turbine is followed by an impulse type turbine, a stage comprising alternate sets of stationary'gasdirecting elements and rotor elements, effecting a chemical reaction between said reactants under conditions such that gaseous-product, isformedg insaid reaction type turbine, expanding said gaseous reactants and product and continuing the reaction in stages in said reaction type turbine, subsequently further expanding and utilizing the velocity of the resulting gaseous stream to rotate said impulse type turbine whereby said reactants and product are cooled rapidly and said reaction is substantially stopped, and recovering said product from the effluent from said turbine.

4. A continuous process for effecting exothermic chemical reactions and generating power, which comprises separately injecting a plurality of gaseous reactants under superatmospheric pressure at a plurality of points into an enclosed space immediately preceding the first stage of a combination reaction type-impulse type gas turbine in which a multi-stage reaction type turbine is followed by an impulse type turbine under conditions such that said reactants spontaneously react to form a gaseous produce in said space and in successive stages of said reaction type turbine, a stage comprising alternate sets of stationary gas directing elements and rotor elements, simultaneously directly injecting from outside of said turbine at least one of the reactants to successive stages of said reaction type turbine, translating resulting gas pressure in said reaction type turbine into rotation thereof, further expanding the resulting partially expanded gaseous efiluent into said impulse type turbine and there translating kinetic energy of said effluent into rotation of said turbine, and recovering a product from the turbine efiluent.

5.. A process for effecting chemical reactions 10 which comprises injecting" a gaseous reactant under superatmospheric' pressure into the first stage of a combination gas turbine having a multi-stage reaction section followed by an impulse section under spontaneous reaction conditions whereby only apportion of said reactant is, converted to gaseous, product; passing the resulting eifiuent through and continuing the reaction, in at least one successive stage, a stage comprising alternate sets; of stationary gas directing elements and rotor elements; translating resulting gas pressure in said reaction turbine section into rotation of said turbine; expanding gaseous effluent from said reaction turbine sectioninto said? impulse turbine section and therein translating kinetic energy of; said effluent into rotation of said turbine, and recovering said product from the turbine effiuent.

6. The process of claim 5 is which fresh reactant is injected directly from outside of said turbine into successive stages of said reaction turbine section.

7. Aicombinatign gas turbine for effecting vapor phase chemical. reactions, comprising a multi-stage reaction type turbine connected in series with an impulse type turbine downstream thereof and arranged for gas fiow therebetween; a rotor in said reaction type turbine having a set of blades for each stage mounted thereon adapted, predominantly for translating expansive force of gas under pressure into rotation of said rotor; expansion nozzles preceding each, Set of blades on the reaction typerotor, disposed so as to direct; gas against said blades and effect rotation of. aforesaidrotor; a rotor in said impulse type turbine having a set of blades mounted thereon adapted predominantly, for trans-' lating kinetic energy of a stream of gas into rotation of said rotor; a plurality of nozzles in said impulse type turbine disposed so as, to direct gas against the blades therein and effect rotation of the rotor therein; conduits opening directly into each stage of said, reaction type turbine from a feed, Source outside thereofyand conduits opening into a reaction chamber preceding the first set of nozzles of said reaction turbine adapted for introduction of gaseous reactants thereto; and outlet means for discharging an effluent from said impulse type turbine.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which said impulse type turbine is multi-stage, having a stationary nozzle section followed by alternate rotating and stationary blades.

9. A continuous process for generating power in the production of hydrogen fluoride which comprises separately injecting hydrogen and fluorine under a pressure of 20 to 70 pounds per square inch gauge at a plurality of points into the first stage of a multi-stage gas turbine in which each stage comprises a set of stationary gas directing members followed by a set of rotor members, under reaction conditions such as to convert only a portion of the reactants to gaseous hydrogen fluoride, passing the resulting mixture of reactants and product into succeeding stages of said turbine, and continuing the reaction therein, translating the resulting gas pressure and gas velocity into rotation of said gas turbine, and recovering hydrogen fluoride from the turbine ellluent.

10. The process of claim 9 in which a stoichiometric excess of one of the reactants is injected into the first stage and the other reactant is directly injected into succeeding stages of the turbine.

11. Apparatus for effecting chemical reactions 11 in the gas phase and translating potential 'energy of the resulting gases into mechanical ener y: comprising in combination on a common shaft a multi-stage reaction type turbine in which each stage comprises alternate sets of stationary gas directing elements and rotor elements arranged so as to translate pressure of expanding gases into rotation of said rotor elements; a reaction chamber in said turbine communicating with the first stage of said turbine through a set of nozzles; inlet conduits around the periphery of said turbine in communication with a plurality of stages directly from a feed supply outside of said turbine for injecting fresh reactants thereto; a multi-stage impulse type turbine downstream of aforesaid turbine in communication therewith in parallel flow through a set of expansion nozzles, each stage of said impulse type turbine comprising a set of gas directing elements and rotor elements arranged so as to translate gas velocity into rotation of said rotor elements.

12. Gas turbine apparatus for effecting chemical reactions and generating power which comprises a combination multi-stage reaction type turbine housed on a common shaft with a multistage impulse type turbine and arranged for parallel gas flow through said turbines in the order named; a reaction type rotor in said reaction turbine having parallel sets of blades spaced apart thereon along the line of flow; sets of stationary nozzles alternating with said sets of blades and disposed so as to direct gas flow against said blades and translate gas pressure 7 into rotation of said rotor; a reaction chamber in said reaction turbine preceding the first set of nozzles and in conu'nunication therewith; gas inlets to said chamber for introducing reactants thereto; gas inlet conduits communicating directly with the space surrounding at least one set of blades adapted for separately introducing reactant gases to said space directly from a feed source outside of said reaction turbine; a multistage impulse type rotor in said impulse turbine having peripheral sets of blades spaced apart 12 along the line of flow; a set of stator blades in each space between the impulse rotor blades adapted so as to direct gas flow against said im pulse rotor blades and translate gas velocity into rotation of said impulse rotor; a plurality of compressors on said common shaft for compressing a plurality of reactants and having inlet and. outlet conduits connected therewith, the latter being connected also with inlet conduits to said reaction type turbine; and exhaust outlet means in the downstream end of said impulse type turbine.

JOI-lN W. LATCHUM, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

v UNITED STATES PATENTS Number OTHER REFERENCES Bennet Oil and Gas Journal, v01. 43, No. 1, 1944, pages 113, 114, 117, 121, 181-5.

Tucker Mech. Eng, vol. 66, June 1944, page 363.

Salisbury Mech. Eng. vol. 66, 1944; pages 273-283 at p. 376.

Croft, Steam Engines Principles & Practice, McGraw-Hill Co., New York city, 1923; pp. 67, 68. 

2. A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF HYDROGEN FLUORIDE AND GENERATION OF POWER FROM THE RESULTING GASES, WHICH COMPRISES SEPARATELY INJECTING HYDROGEN AND FLUORINE UNDER SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE INTO AT LEAST THE FIRST STAGE OF A COMBINATION GAS TURBINE IN WHICH A MULTI-STAGE REACTION TURBINE SECTION IS FOLLOWED BY AN IMPULSE TURBINE SECTION, A STAGE COMPRISING ALTERNATE SETS OF STATIONARY GAS DIRECTING ELEMENTS AND ROTOR ELEMENTS, EFFECTING CHEMICAL INTERACTION BETWEEN SAID FLUORINE AND SAID HYDROGEN SO AS TO PRODUCE GASEOUS HYDROGEN FLUORIDE IN SUCCESSIVE STAGES OF SAID REACTION TURBINE, TRANSLATING RESULTING GAS PRESSURE IN SAID REACTION TURBINE INTO ROTARY MOVEMENT THEREOF, EXPANDING GASEOUS EFFLUENT FROM SAID REACTION TURBINE INTO SAID IMPULSE TURBINE AND THEREIN TRANSLATING KINETIC ENERGY OF SAID EFFLUENT INTO ROTARY MOVEMENT OF SAID TURBINE, THEREBY RAPIDLY QUENCHING SAID EFFLUENT AND STOPPING FURTHER INTERACTION, AND RECOVERING HYDROGEN FLUORIDE FROM THE TURBINE EFFLUENT. 